Catching Fire

**Spoiler alert!**



Let me say first that I LOVE, love, love the Hunger Games series!!! Of the three books, the second, Catching Fire was my least favorite. I started it on June 27th and read through a few chapters, but was never really intrigued. Last week, I decided to finish it.

Catching Fire was initially slower than the other two books. For one thing, the time lapse between where The Hunger Games ended and Catching Fire began was a few months. For another, while it started slowly and seemed much too enveloped in Katniss's depression and poor treatment of Peeta, it soon picked up the pace and felt like I was reading another book.

This book started with Katness and Peeta (love him!) going on their Victory Tour through the different districts. Katniss is fed up with the Capitol trying to run her life. When Katniss and Peeta decided to kill themselves during the Hunger Games so that they would not have to kill one another, it was seen as a sign of rebellion against the all-powerful, never questioned President Snow. No one rebels against President Snow. He's a heartless dictator who takes pleasure out of expressing his power and controlling people. Unbeknownst to Katniss, there is already an underground rebellion forming in various districts and those people now see Katniss as their symbol of power. Obviously, she had no intention of starting anything. President Snow doesn't see it that way. He tries to control Katniss by forcing her to marry Peeta, who she had pretended to care about during the Hunger Games in order to stay alive. Peeta's heartbroken because he really does absolutely love Katniss. During the games, Peeta didn't know Katniss was faking her affections. He feels used, betrayed and very hurt. Katniss comes across as self absorbed and direly selfish at the beginning of the second book. I mean, the boy gives her unconditional love and support and she throws it back in his face. She's constantly confused about who she likes more: loveable Peeta, or Gale, her oldest friend. (Pick Peeta!) Eventually, Katniss and Peeta decide to just be friends and continue to put on a lovey-dovey show for the sake of protecting their families from President Snow's retaliation.

All of a sudden, to everyone's surprise (including mine as a reader), President Snow comes on live television to make an announcement. This year's Hunger Games is the 75th anniversary Games and something extra "special" (aka gruesome) will take place to make the games more interesting for the protected Capitol viewers and more horrifying for the competitors. President Snow announces that one male and one female victor from each district will be chosen to compete again in another Hunger Games. This brings the second half of the book back up to speed with the first and throws us into the arena once again. Sadly, some of the people who are called to compete are elderly, mentally unwell, physically handicapped, and some are even friends (like Katniss and Peeta). The Hunger Games take place in a tropical jungle setting and only last 2 days. Katniss and Haymich make a vow to one another to protect Peeta, even at the cost of Katniss's own life. Of course, it's a blood bath and the Game Makers have made horrible traps and Muttations and pain to inflict on the competitors. But what we find is that a group of people have made an alliance to lay down their own lives to protect Peeta (again, love him!). When Katniss and another competitor figure out that there is actually a forcefield around the arena, they decide to get through it. That leads to a surprising and daring rescue of Katniss and another player by the rebels. The rest, including Peeta are taken captive by the Capitol and tortured.

The second book ends with Katniss finding out that there is a huge rebellion in the works, and that they need her help to succeed. It comes across as though she's realizing she loves Peeta and wants to rescue him.

I love the way this book ended! I eagerly dove into the final book, Mockingjay, and finished it in one day! I'll write about that one later. Today is National Ice Cream day, so we're off to get some! Enjoy!